Talkin' Cowboys: Eyes On The Titans

the field and they're gonna be outdoors today. And finally, our long national nightmare of no Cowboys on a practice field is over as of this morning, and this is Talking Cowboys. We are now t minus what four days away from finally playing a game. Your five day NFL weekend starts tonight with an epic matchup San Francisco forty nine Ers and the Oakland Raiders. At least both teams

don't have to travel very far. That's exactly right. Did you hear who San Francisco might be starting at quarterback tonight? You have any idea? Now, they're very educated people here, Okay, you understand. I think feel like that. I don't know that we know all the quarterbacks on all the teams in the league, right, what's wrong with Bethard? Bethard's got a shoulder. Yeah, okay, so I don't know who the third quarolos out. I don't know who the third flows out.

Did they get somebody off the street? They got someone off their practice squad who is actually Gino Kramarzi, who's actually been with the team just as long as C. J. Bethard has been with the team, which isn't all that long. But he was signed out of the same draft. Did they trade for law Lada Kyle la Letta? He's got his own issues in New York. They did sign Tom Savage, but he's not the guy, and then they released him on the Saturday before a game. But anyway, too much pride.

He's out of Southern Miss. So Joe Trehan from Dallas Cowboy Joe is Nick Mullins. Nick Mullins, who are you? Yeah? Exactly good question. Garrison asked the question, who are you? I looked at from Southern miss. I look at three hundred players. I think I've seen Nick Mullins play. I don't think I've evaluated Nick Mullins. So I've watched several you know whose records he broke it Southern Miss Oh Brett and Austin Davis. Austin Davis as well. There you go.

All right, so we're talking. You know, I probably will I need to make different plans for tonight, I think. No, I still I like watching. You can work now, you can do something while you're watching. Yeah, it's just it's wallpaper. Yeah, you know, Troy, he's saying about getting this colum in early on a Friday for eight pm. That'd be awesome for me or Kurt or whoever has to read it. Say with Mick shots too, hurry up. Locker room didn't open until four thirty. I know there was news I

got you. It was. It was insightful too, it was that's what we're going to get to. First off. Oh well, first off, I had the Halloween go for. Everybody didn't hand out one bit of candy. And it wasn't the purpose. It wasn't a purpose. Light on. Oh no, Yeah, I just live in a neighborhood with a bunch of old folks. That's the way it is. And so I'm okay with that. If everybody doesn't want to come around and get candy. I'm okay with that. I can't really see you being

the guy. Hey, what's uh? No, I like to see the costumes? Yeah, I would. I like to see, you know, but I'm not. Oh and you know, Oh that's nice. Oh what are you? Oh? You know, I'd asked the silly questions, but I justns passed it, so then it's passed it. Yeah, he went to a party. I didn't have to give him a ride home, which was a good thing for me. Yeah. So I'm worried about driving around home Halloween night. Yeah, it's kind of scary of those kids, you know, they kind of darted in between

cars and stuff. Sure, be careful out there. What'd you do? Bill? We uh we ten kids? We were at Cowboys Club right here at the Star and the Legend show. You guys didn't do that all night? Well then I went to work. Oh then you had to go to work after that? Well, first off, first off, I spent two hours in twenty minutes in traffic going from Fort Worth Peer to Frisco to host the show, and then blame

that on Vicky. Yeah, and I just walked upstairs. Yeah, I know, he went thirty seconds to the Cowboys Club and he had a great show with Drew Pearson. Of course you can't. You can't screw that up. No ruse on the show, he'll talk the whole time. He just kind of sit there and sip water. And there was no one up there dressed for Halloween. No, there wasn't. You know. It's kind of all professional old people. That's Cowboys Club clientele. They had their party on Friday, and

I heard it was a pretty good party. I bet it was. But yeah, I guess we didn't get the vents from Halloween. You knew it was kind of a no show, yea. And how about you, Rob, Happy birthday mom. Her birthday is on Halloween, so every year it used to be a trigger treating thing. Now it's just let's just get away. Let's go get something to eat, turn the light off, and yes, go get dessert. Some out there on time. No thanks to you, It's okay. Did

you apologize for me? I didn't. I will though you were supposed to tell your mom it was my fault. You had to use had to stay five more. That's an excuse. We all use a mixture that creative genius you know, try. You can't just knock it out. It's got to take time and the knock to edit that, you know, like a bottle of one. Probably only took me an hour to do it. Half hour before, half hour after. It wasn't It wasn't insightful. Locker room. I wish.

I wish folks can hear Mickey type. It's the greatest thing. You have a typewriter. It might as well be the I have a keyboard because I used to wear out the do you hunt and peck you? No? But it is. It is with some violence. It's like Randy Macho man savage op rope, just banging the elbow. I bet none of you had to really type on a typewriter. That's how I. I typed on a typewriter. I used to write the Jones. You did not. I bet it was an electric one. No, I have a man I still

have a manual typewriter. I wrote I wrote a one time in my life? Are you aware how get off the lawn? That sounds? What's that? You guys didn't learn how to type on a typewriter? Like oh, back in the old days, that was better stuff to carry a film project scouting. You had to push the keys down, you didn't just call it move your hand there. And then typing class. I was the worst in typing class. And I didn't realize how cool, how cool it should

have been, because I did it. My mother made me go to summer school, and you know, back then, the stigma of summer school. You're a big video. Yeah, and so she was tired of having to get a type my stuff because people couldn't read what I wrote. That's another whole thing. And so I get in there and there's there. It's a class of maybe twenty five and I bet twenty three of them were female. And I was like, oh this what am I doing it? Yeah?

You know this was that's where it all started. Huh Yeah, Actually, you know what, it's pretty funny. I made a friend in that Yeah, yes, it's going up. Made a friend in that class. Uh So it was before my freshman year in high school. And we are still friends today. So that's almost yeah, I hate to say almost fifty years. Yeah, that's nice, Mickey. I like that story. Thank you. Hey you guys started with the typing, right Rob, Anything you happen to the locker room yesterday? What a drop. That's

gotta have more violence to it. More violence. That That was a real type of Oh you hit that thing going across. Absolutely, we'll get it. We'll get a tape recorder to your keyboard. I'm gonna do that before the end of the day so everybody can hear just how crazy it is. I don't have my portable Mickey taking notes, Mickey, Mickey. The Mickey was using like three legal pads on a conversation. That's right, I love it. I don't know how you read those notes. They get me to where I can

look at the recording. Didn't find what there you go? There you go, there you go, hieroglyphics. What you do before audio tape, before tape recordings, what you do have your notes? You have to keep up man a long time newspaperman. Right there, though, Rob, do you have your recorder in the locker room? Just stop piling on Mickey. Now we can we go. I don't show the Lockerrooe

minutes left locker room yesterday. Offensive line to the Hey, they all addressed the elephant in the room, Uh, you know, firing and Mark Colombo coming in and Mickey saw different interpretations of that. No, they accurate interpretation. Okay, well there were different interpretations though there were Zack Martin, Look, he said, this is not a one man blame game. Okay, we have to play better. We're not playing up to our standard. Okay. Um.

Tyrn Smith spoke about it. Lyle Collins spoke about it. I think the general feeling is Mark Colombo. They're comfortable with him. He's a former player, he's not far removed from being a player. Sure, but they have to do a better job. And I thought the interesting question for Zach was, all right, do you what do you do? Do you scrap these new techniques that Alexander was teaching you guys? He said, really, I don't think we can

do that completely. I mean, we'll try to integrate some of our old stuff, but mid season, especially for younger guys, that's gonna be to do. I ain't there. I think there was some absolute That sentence is gonna sound terrible, but I think that's the truth. I think there's some guys that were glad to see this happen, you know, And I'm not going to put words in guys mouths or try to, but you look at some of the

things that those guys. I mean, we're talking about guys that were all pros and Pro Bowl players, and you're right tackle wasn't that guy. And we all talked about this. This is no secret that when there's people that said that that right tackle is going to struggle with this change, and he struggled, and I think there's I think he's the one. He has to be the happiest of them that Okay, you know, Mark, help me, help me get

back to what we were doing last year. Help me get back with my feet, my punch, my hands, my balance. You know, there's a lot of things that he that Mark can go back and say, Okay, remember when we did this, Remember when we did this. I mean, the familiarity that he has with that player, I think will help that player. But I think Tyrn Smith, I mean I applaud him for being being honest about it. Yeah, let's get to the elephant and the real I was

gonna let you handle the different interpretation. It wasn't a different it was an accurate interpretation. Because some money asked Tyrn Smith, who rarely talks, I think it kind of got forced into got forced. But they asked him if he was if he felt or if they felt responsible for Paul Alexander getting fired, like it was their fault, and he said, no, not at all. It's something that happens, and it's really nobody's fault. No one is really in

control of something like that. We don't really pay too much attention to it and just focus on what we can control. Now, is that being irresponsible or is he telling you what they thought of Paul Alexander? Look, yeah, please, no, not at all. It's something that happens, and it's really nobody's fault. No one is in control of something like that. Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, that's what he said, and he never talks, right, So well, Yeah, if you have a different interpretation, have

at it. I didn't. I'm multiple handle this in the break. I'm I'm not saying that you had a different interpretation. I'm saying that there were kind of different ways of the questions being answered. They all got asked the same thing, he answered it a little differently. Yeah, it's not being so sensitive. He was just being He just wouldn't being nice like everybody else, right, I guess. I mean they all kind of said, what you're supposed to ask you

a question? Which one did you respect the most the answers you got, Which one did the best to help you do your job? I think Zach, they all answered the questions fine. I think Zach though, as the offensive captains standing up and saying we have to play better,

that there's no question of that. To me. That's that's a captain standing up and saying like it's on us as much as it is the coaches, and and when management makes a decision for an offensive line that is considered the strength of the team, it's got to fall on us to some degree. So I'd say, Zach Martin m then we will agree to disagree on that. I tend to you know me, and agree with Mickey. That's like oil and water. As crazy as Mickey sounds, I have to agree with him. Thank you very much. Brian

brought us so. I didn't like the bill. No that I don't know. I mean, I to me, I I think that the fact the matter is, yeah, they have to play better. But there were some clearly some issues there there were. You know, I'm not saying anybody wrong, I'm just saying, you know, I'm on everybody. Doesn't it sure does at some point, Sure it does. But it also fall it also, you know, hey, it falls on

the general manager and the coaching staff are hiring the guy. Yeah, I know, because if you're if you're trying to bring a guy in here that's gonna try and change everything that everybody, everything that they've done, shame on you. You know, hey, it starts at the top two though, But I applaud Tyren Smith for saying that though you know, it's a bad fit. Obviously eight weeks in, you know, they got

rid of this guy. What's the biggest difference technique wise between the way Paul Alexander coached the offensive lineman and the let's say, the Hudson Howk technique, Like let's like Bill, Let's let's push something aside here real quick. Okay, this is Mark Colombo's room, right, Let's not talk about Hudson HOWK. I mean, let's talk about Hudson how the legendary coach and what he was. Hudson HOWK is here to observe

and to help. This is Mark Colombo's room. This is this is let's every I think there's a lot of people out there like, oh, they're gonna go back to what they did at the Super Bowl no, no, no, this is Hudson Howk is just here to kind of make sure that Mark Colombo is a sounding board guy. Do you think what's the difference. Okay, now I'll get to I'm sorry about I just didn't mean to lecture you're there, but I know there's a lot of people out there are Hudson how No, no, this is Mark

Colombo's gig. Now, this is his gig. Either this team's either this offensive line is going to get better or it's not right. And so the difference, though, I think what you're gonna see is I just think an overall technique. Overall technique, and mainly as in past protection, we've talked about the high hand low hand. We've talked about okay, how do you place your feet? How do you say when you watch the Cowboys? When you watch the Cowboys play.

Previously it's been about punch, and it's been about knee bend. It's gonna be about it's about inside hands and sitting down on your guy. You know, when you play high hand low hand, you're looking for control. The other way to play this is you're trying to control the guy by getting to him and getting your hands on him, not just kind of pushing him past and holding him in place. That's not gonna be that. It's gonna be. This new way, I think is more about physical lady

than it is about hand placement. This is about punching him, holding him and sitting down on him and being that that type of a player. So Nate Newton as a casual observer, I guess Drew Drew Pearson. He pointed it out last night. He was talking about talking to Harvey Martin and asking Harvey, what do you like or what do you hate of an opposing offensive lineman, And he said, I hate when they're aggressive at me, when they're coming at me. I'd rather them trying to catch me because

I can beat him if they're catching. And I think Nate pointing and Nate Newton was on Cowboys Insider, which you might be able to find on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. If not, it's on Fox Sports Southwest. He was pointing out the difference and he was great and described and

he was talking. He basically said, it's a difference between catching and punching, right, and the Paul Alexander technique is to catch the pass rusher and this is all pass protection we're talking about here, catching the pass rusher and reacting basically right, well mirror yeah, which and of course Nate played for Hudson howk And it's the punch, it's being more aggressive, keep them on the line of scrimmage, right, Yeah.

And Darryl Johnston was there, and Darryl said, well, that makes sense when they're having difficulties in handling stunts and Swiss And so when you're playing a technique where you are basically in retreat mode as as opposed to proactive, right, and that's going to you're going to be imbalanced on your on your offensive line asgar as handling twists and stunts and so forth, and you're going to have difficulties there.

And so that explains a lot of that. Now, the question is, all right, obviously, with any offensive lineman, you're practicing your technique on a daily basis, and so if you're if you're switching back to the other technique, how does that affect Monday's game? I mean, how quickly can

you go back to the other technique. There's only one guy that's a rookie out perfected, but yeah, there's only one guy that left guard he's the only guy that's like, okay, but but he's also played at a high level collegiately. You know, it's not like he's coming from Mama Thur, you know, Hobart College or someplace like that. This guy's played it. You know, he he understands that. Okay, I've got to get my hands on these guys, especially him, when you don't play with power and you're trying to

catch people all day and ain't a good recipe. Right there, they're getting the first Yeah. Yeah, he's he's trying to place his hands when he's not strong to begin with. He end up on his butt. Yeah. Give me, give me a guy, get you know what, Paul Alexander Ay twenty four years, great career, Nice job. You're a bad fit here. You were a bad fit here. You're not this. This to me is this offensive line is based on power.

It's based on ability to get athletes with power. And if you take the ability to use their power away from them the way they are, you got no shot. You remember, no shot? You remember what Nate pointed out to us last year. With um Layle Collins moving to right tackle for Hatton, played there since twenty fourteen, and Nate was the first one to realize this guy's left handed. Yeah, and he's trying to watch and he can't. He's got to punch with his right hand. He keeps his left. Yeah.

And so now you're probably not punching anymore. You're you're catching. And after you know, he kind of got it those last six eight games of the season making that transition with the left hand to the right hand, and they were punching. Well, there wasn't a lot of punching going on. How many times did we see Lyle Collins on the holding penalties where it's he looks just out of whack, you know, his hands are all messed up. I must used a bad word there, sorry, but you know he

I mean, and he was off balance, off balance? I mean, yeah, this to me. You watched the tape and we all watched the games. We watched the games. You're saying, what's the problem, and you think kind of his technique's bad? All right, here's my question. And I agree it was a bad fit, no doubt about it. That's why you're not going to be as evil as me. It's why

they made the move. But as a former offensive lineman, do you snap your fingers and say, because muscle memory kicks in at some point, right, I've been doing this for how many months? And then you just switch back to doing what you used to do. Alexander in that interview said he's got some guys trying it and some guy's not. If I'm not mistaken about that, ye, yeah. What happens you go into survival mode when things aren't working? What do you do? I think he used this example

the other day. I guess maybe not here Tim Tebow. They could teach him to throw the football all day, but what happens when he gets into a game he goes back to what revert back? That goes back to your muscle memory. Tyrn Smith, Hey, I want you to punch the hell out of Casey this week. I want you to sit him on the line and punch him

when he comes your direction. And when you pass that twist stunt over to Connor Williams, I want you to take your two hands and shove him as hard as you can into Connor william And then when that looper comes around, I want you to hit that guy right in the chest with your right hand. Okay, don't catch him, hit him as hard as you can with your right hand. Tyrn Smith will remember that, he'll remember that seeing the other thing. And I don't think it was all only

about technique. I think it was just the room. It was a bad fit in the room. How tight were those games. Let's remember how tight they are. They would all walk out together to practice the first day of training camp. They would walk out single file to practice right and their own way. They had their own swagger about him. Yeah, they don't have that anyhow, and they were tight. And I don't know, I don't know if they didn't let him in or what happened, but there

was just a disconnect there. And you know, you can blame the as Brian said, the head coach for hire him or however they decided to come around to make that move. But it wasn't working. So give them credit for exactly. Let's not keep the exactly I'm just doing something. I appreciate you saying that, Mickey, because that's exactly right. That's the way it needs to be. You know, if someone steps up and says, hey, by the way, this receiver by committee not working. Yeah, I'm gonna go help

you here. Hey, offensive line not playing well? Boy, I've spent a lot of money on this offensive line highdraft picks. I'm gonna help you here. Here we go. Somebody told Jerry Jones that, and in his own eyes, he's looking at that offensive line saying something is not right with that group. They identified the two areas they felt like we're holding them back the most offensively, and did something about it in the bye week for different and different ways,

and we'll see if it works. They went and got a guy that can go make plays down the field, and then now they got a new voice in the room with their most important position, so we'll see if it works or a louder voice. I'll tell you this though, and I think Mickey will agree with me on this one. If the offensive line doesn't play better in the second half, they're gonna be a whole lot of other changes going on. I mean, and I don't mean to say that in

a way. I mean just saying, no, the evaluation, the evaluation. They need this offensive line to carry this team in the second half. They have got to protect better, they've got to run the ball better, they've got to be more consistent. If this is the change that gets that going, I applaud them. I applaud him for making the switch anyway, But I'm on say this offensive line, and I think he's been saying it. And again he's right on this.

He's not the only one he's been saying it. But yeah, well I mean in a way, but not not in here. But yeah, I think everybody saw there. They were struggling. But the narrative, but the narrative out there has been about the receivers more than it is about about the offensive. It's been about the quarterback, and it's been about the plate caller, and it's been about the head coach. And the root of the evil has been right there in front of you, and no one wanted to point it

out because it's too simple. Did you point it out? Yes, a lot. I just don't scream and yell like he does. And now you're screaming yell like this, Yeah, alright, alright eight five, five, two two nine seven, screaming yell at us in a moment on this road talking cowboys. Selor has been helping Cowboys fans seed better since nineteen seventy two.

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Doctor Pepper? Craving? Doctor Pepper, the one you crave. Back to talking cowboys, Tommy John gives you that feeling of freedom where it counts, with a contour pouch that nestles the boys. Yeah, and with three million pair soul we put in the hustle to make sure you're Nestled shop Exclusive Cowboys underwear at Tommy john dot com Forward slash Cowboys. Let's say something real quick. Sure, thanks to all the folks that were watching us on periscope. We appreciate you

out there. Steps it out periscope out there. Yeah, good group of folks falling along and appreciate all the comments and stuff, So thank you for doing that. Back to Bill Jones, can you see us? I did? I did? I saw you can see the comments and stuff like that. I didn't really like typing talk too much, but they're they're on board with us now, they're on board with us out But thank you folks for the fall off. Yeah. By the way, back to typing talk. Got the copy

has been typed up for me. The Big Twelve Championship returns to at and T Stadium on December first. Be there when the top two football teams and the twelve face off, become the conference champion and one team will make it to the College Football Playoff. Brand your tickets now at SeatGeek dot com, the official ticketing provider at and T Stadium. No chance is he totally wrong about that. You better worry about guns up this weekend somebody's gonna

take care of He's gonna take care attack. Somebody's gonna take care of somebody with you, guys, Saturday, Big Alabama fans, this big elephant. Yeah, Abama will run the table in the SEC will be whoever loses the SEC championship game will get in ahead of somebody in the Big twelfth. Oh but not the big brand, No, Notre Dame will get into You watch Northwest? What was the what was the score last year? I don't remember. I wanted to go to a lot of places. We killed him. Oh,

that was a game had eight thousand yards. No Joe Mixon game. That, by the way, there's the rematch of that in the NFL this week is Cleveland plays Kansas City. That was a sixty six to fifty nine Baker Mayfield over Patrick Mahomes game that I guess it wasn't last year. It was year before. Yeah, it was crazy two years before, Yeah, two years ago. Okay, yeah, in Lubbock last time I played. Where's the game on Saturday? It's in Lubbock, all right,

get the tortillas ready. I'm pretty sure the Ou quarterback can do what Baker Mayfield did, but I'm not sure the tech quarterback can do what Patrick watched that the guy played against Iowa stayed. He had a little some struggles throwing that ball. Defensive coordinator doing ruffin McNeil, Yes, who's had a win going back to Lubbock. Yeah, doing much better? Okay, Lincoln Riley who NFL once if he would have just made the move back in January, Well,

defensive coordinator, they've been a different position right now. See, shouldn't wait seven weeks to make a move. That's right. Let's go to California. I want to go to California. Jim is in California and he is first up on Talking Cowboys. Hello Jim, Good morning, Bill. Good to have you back. Missed you yesterday. Well thank you. I know they really floundered yesterday without man water Man. There you go. Hey.

I'm a Garrett fan. I like what he's done. Player acquisitions seem to be a committee decision based on salary cap and draft and and what those around you say you can do, so you're kind of handcuffs. But coaching decisions, it seems to me as a novice observer, are just Garrett decisions. And it seems like he got rid of a great coach who is doing a good job because a personality conflict or something that sounds Yeah, it sounds like to me, this is the one decision that can

fall on him. Could if it goes south the rest of the season could in my opinion, is when where he could be held accountable job wise. You talk about Frank Pollock, you talk about Pollock, I'm talking about Garrett. No no, no, no, no, no, oh yeah, yeah. I think Pollock was the guy before Alexander was really good. I mean, he was getting it on, he was getting it done, and no one says you have to get along personality wise and in the office. I mean, that's

what it's for you. You bounce things off each other and you, you know, you bur up on each other until you come to a resolution. But the product on the field was awesome, and that's a Garrett decision. It wasn't awesome the second half of the season. Second half. There happened the second half. Yeah, And you can also say that the competition was tougher in the second half. There's a lot of other variables there, but sure, I hear what you're saying. They didn't play Green Bay or

the Rams the second half Yeah, good point, Mickey. Look at this Taving Austin twenty eight, Cope easily twenty nine, Giunte Thompson twenty nine, Transplarens twenty nine. The Cooper trade is a youth movement, and that's a great thing. I think, along with Gallup and Cedric Wilson, Lanser Noor, there's some youth there that's exciting. A question I have for you is next year, are we so far under the cap that we can secure Jones and Lawrence and others that

are doing well in their contract here. Thanks for taking my call. Yes, get him capologists. Yes, yes, they can. Yeah, and you can probably if things go well in nine games extend Amari Cooper and lower his cap hit. That would be just fourteen million on a straight if you think you know. If you don't know, then you absorb it. But yeah, they can do that, and you probably have some money to go out and spec. There you go, Bill, Can you you allow me the Florida Yes, go for it.

Could this be without a first round pick and the fact that they did use their first round pick to get this receiver, which Mickey just talked about. Could we see them a little bit of a change not only signing their own, but maybe going out and getting another free agent guy, um signing somebody. I mean, maybe a little bit different philosophy than what we've seen out of the past. Yeah. What are they under the cap right now?

A lot? I mean it's it was such a fluid, I know, but it was at one point it was like eighteen nineteen million bucks. Yeah, so yeah, absolutely, Now again dak is eligible for that extension. Sure, I don't know what they're going to do there. They have another year if they so choose to do that seven million according to over the Kip, okay, right now, that's a good un you'll carry it further. Yeah, Now, DeMarcus Lawrence is going to carry a heavy cap number, whether you know.

I don't think they're gonna franchise him again. No, well, he doesn't want to be franchise, doesn't does. It's an option obviously, and Byron Jones is playing like a number one corner, So that's a lot of money to tie up. I mean, that's so I'm wrong thinking they might go out and get some think I think if there's if, if it makes sense, I don't think he just goes spending No, no, no, no, Okay, let me let me I keep my I keep my dream alive for Earl

Thomas for a couple of years. Yeah, I'm keeping my dream alive for him if it's reasonable, if it's what if it turns into an eight million dollar a year thing, Mickey, You okay with that eight million eight for him? Yeah? Eight or nine million a year for three years? Say, I mean, if he let's see how bad he wants to play, keep I keep gona dream of you worried

the fact that I think it was freaky got hurt? Okay, But he's getting close to thirty, right, Yeah, and this is like I think he's the one the sec third He's like, this is the second or third year and not in a row, but in these last I understand, hurt. I understand, but I'm gonna I'm gonna, I'm gonna gamble on him. The type of player he is. And I know what you're saying, Mickey. I I it's it's bad management on my part, But I'm holding that dream alive for for a two three year run. That's what I'm

holding it for that type of a player. You know, I understand signing my own because I want to sign my own. But if I could go out and get a guy, I mean, I feel like I could go out and get is would he be the best position fit that you would have tight end? Yeah? But who are you gonna Well, I don't know what I know. I know what if somebody says I can't pay this tight end, I end could be more of your draft focus potentially too. That's kind of what I was thinking.

I was thinking more of a second round And I know that the history of the second round tight end here is I mean you you weren't. Yeah, you're right about that, you know, And if they don't have Witten taking ninety six percent of the snaps anymore, either, I'm hopeful of I'm hopeful of Dalton Schultz, I really am. Yeah, for sure, I'm hopeful to him. And Swain has been solid when he's been healthy. Um, I just I don't know if you'd want to go out and overspend on

a veteran tight end. Well, the other part of the rookie tight end coming in, whether it's as high as second round pick, there's a learning curve and you know you can expect even like with the Michael gallup this year, the first half of the year, it's not going to be the same as what the surely the second half of the year will be. And so you basically have what you have right now unless you're going to get

a veteran guy in here. As far as a tight end position, trying to think, I want to help these guys grow, and you know, I'm trying to think, Okay, I'd like to pay Byron Jones if I could, I'd like to. Yeh. I think that's been I think that's one of those things that's kind of been gone in a good direction there, you know. And I know you're gonna have to pay Lawrence. I mean, and those are

two I guess my point is, yeah, you can. You can still have money to spend probably, but those are two primo positions that cost a lot of money, right if they're gonna get paid like top guys, and you know Lawrence is gonna want big time money. Yeah, but can you get can you get? You think you can get the safety for a deal? So do you look at it as a necessity or a luxury? The safe? Yes, that's a good question, because I though I'd like to

have him playing in that secondary. I just I just thought I just had a vision to him being back there and making plays and creating turnovers and things like that. I just, you know, and I was hopeful that, you know, they can make the trade. They didn't make the trade, it might work out better for him that they didn't make the trade. Number Two scoring defense. One thing missing is takeaways, right That's the That's the biggest difference between

them and the Washington Redskins right now. I mean you look at you look at the Redskins there right down the line of everything about their team, with the exception of turnovers as well as they played defensively, They've got six takeaways, and it's I think there's like two or three teams below them. I'm paying a guy to go get me some turnovers. Maybe they can't get turners. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I know it's offseason talk, but I'm just asking the question, will we see a change in philosophy?

And the Maidens have thirteen takeaways? Yes, here you go. That is the biggest difference between them being five and two and you being three and four. That's what it is right there. What one takeaway for sure? Yeah, that's right, Yeah, the one in the end zone. Okay, the follow him there for a second between three and four and four and three. Right now, that's right, all right, Let's go to Berry in Virginia next up here on Talking Cowboys. Hello Berry, Harry, thank you for taking a call um

comment and question. I listened to you every day. It seems like the offensive line, the receivers, and the coaching staff take a lot of especially coaching staff take a lot of the blame for what's going on with the offense. Put the quarterback in there too. That's where I was going. Okay, Kie year had a great year. But everything fell into place, but they still did not if you looked at every game, they didn't throw the ball down the field wheel every now and then, who throw one up to Diz and

it worked out. M My question is who who makes the decision to jettison Romo? And that this is your guy back when he was a rookie. And don't get me wrong, he seems like a great guy and he's the type guy you could root for. But he holds the ball so long. And you don't have to be a rocket science to figure this out. If you the Cleveland game when they put the rookie in that night, they kept talking about the offensive line was so bad.

But then when they switched Tyrod Taylor and one to the other quarterback, he drops back backfoot, hits the ball's gone. Then the offensive line is good. Everything is better. And I'm just wondering, how far do you go before you say how far do you stick with that? Before do you get rid of the coaching staff? The offensive line gets old, You're running back gets a little older, and then all of a sudden you say, you know what, we don't We don't have a quarterback here that can

do it. I have a question, though, sir, but when when he when he was winning the thirteen games, were you just biting your tongue or biting your lip and just kind of going with it? I mean, are you such a Romo fan that? And I'm I'm asking a set of respect. I'm not trying to belittle you or anything like that. I'm just I'm asking you. I'm asking you in a way of is it always been a struggle for you that they never helped Romo in any way?

Not so much. I mean I always felt like he had not only did he not have a lot of help, but he had to deal with some whackos on top of that. But the point, the point is no, when he was winning, I was I was thinking, you know what, they struck gold twice, they got the was a free agent and this guy in the fourth round, and and all NFL teams struggle to find quarterbacks forever. And that's

what That's what I thought it was. But but watching it now, for this is a third year, and like I said, maybe something can improve, but he just he holds the ball just you know, and it's a it's a matter of a half second. It's not like it's you know, a minute, it's a half second every play that you just got to let it go. The guys that the guys that do it well and the guys

that consistently win, they let it go. Yeah, And I just what I'm saying is I you know, I don't know if you know or if y'all could even say if it was Garrett's choice, you know, they'll go on with this quarterback somebody else, And then who holds that responsibility down the line? And how do you blame the coach and staff for all that you know, the same offensive coordinated then as it is now true And I watched I watched games, and I get frustrated sometimes on

what the play calling is. But I think everybody on every the roots for any team does at times. Yeah, and let me let me point out that quarterback in Cleveland, the one, the one that could so quickly pull the trigger. He's been sacked twenty times, twenty times five starts, he's got six interceptions, He's completed fifty eight percent of his passes, and he has a yards per attempt of six point six.

You don't have an offensive line in front of you, it doesn't matter how quickly all the rookie quarterbacks have been exactly. Look, that's another thing. This is not his third year either. Yeah, you know, there's a lot to go with the I'm not just comparing him directly that it was just that one particular game you could just sit there and watch when when the other quarterback went out of the game he came in. Same guys, Well,

that's the way he plays, that's his game. My point is, and I'm the biggest Baker Mayfield, and there is when he doesn't have an offensive line in front of him, he's not going to be effective. And the same thing has happened for Dak this year compared to his rookie season, he doesn't have the same offensive line in front, say twenty three sacks, but not this year. Yeah, and no, no, no, being respectful of your points that you're making two is because I think he got great points on him holding

the ball and so forth. Yeah, and it's just a kind sign of a process. Let's see if, in fact, though that the receivers, if they can you know, we've asked them to kind of pair some things down. Let's see if you could get no, get Gallop going, get Hearn's going, you know, get get the new guy going, you know, find a way you've got Beasley kind of going, you know, And and let's see if the offensive line in fact with Mark Colombo will be a little bit different.

As far as protection, I just think there's some things that you know, you're probably not going to be able to totally change anticipations and things like that. But hey, if you help him, he's proven that he can he can win games, so you have to find ways to help him. Does his presence reduce the let's factor? Amari Cooper's yeah, you hope, Yeah, you hope eight eight eight eight five five two two nine seven. The number to

call when we come back. How much does this team this year miss the guy who's going to be in the ESPN broadcast booth on Monday night when we come back. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch it DirecTV Now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports you love. Try direct TV now for

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But they would speak their mind even when Maggy You're on the air. I'm speaking my mind right now as a matter of fact, because do you want to use what the pros use? Are you ready to use what the pros use? Making it's Jack Black? I use Jack Black? Yes? And did you know it was the official skin cream of the Dallas Cowboys. I did not know that well, see. You need to know that. And did you know that

you can get your Jack Black playmaker four JB four faves. Yes, I know that, And you know you can get him free if you just and free ship. Here. Let me write down what do you want anyway at get Jack Black dot com and if you use that code, cowboys, you can get that free shipping. Oh okay, you know I can do it myself, Bill, I just realized something.

I'm sitting listen to Mickey's read, but I'm watching. That's the guy that the San Francisco Quarterbacks, the one that beat us, that drove the ball down in the preseason, the guy then the final drive of the game, Nick Mullins. Nick Mullins, Is that right? Yeah? I think it was Nick Mullins. We all stop paying attention. Yeah. I was brought at the game the podcast in the game too, and I didn't realize that. I didn't know Nick Mullins

was even on their practice squad. But here, but he's the guy that got the game winning the game winning drive. I don't even remember what happened in that game. It was just the first pace they went down, they scored a touchdown, and then it was really the end of the game. But they were losing the whole game and Nick Mullins came in and I think lit them up. Huh okay, and boy where they fired up after that vict It was, it was, it was a big victory for So now what do they have to that one

and regular season? Yeah, they're there there, I said too. Yeah, they're on the line for to be the team with the number one overall pick. Oh, yeah, that's what they're talking about. Hey. Hey, Rally Day presented by seat llam Nick going up on Sunday the Stadium, Dallas Cowboys alumni and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and even play on the field. Visit att stadium dot com slash rally Days for details and get your tickets today. It's Sat Sunday Day, Sunday

Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday, which is also race Day. Are you gonna be out at the Texas Motor Speedway. I will, okay, I will. I've got to speak Mickey, and I've got to speak at Star Sports on Sunday one, fifteen fifteen. If anybody wants to verses, come by right here at the Omni Boy, we had some combative folks and the Jackson what like, how combative? What were they? Mickey handles them very well. Is the questions. They will ask some seriously tough questions, and you know you want to give,

like we're tombout being honest, give honest answers. Mickey always says, fire, fire the coach, Yeah, fire the quarterback, fire the GM fire Mickey and me get rid of us. Yeah, So, how can you want to become a part of this? How can someone come with a part of us? How can someone be apologize how we became? No? No, no, How can a fan a star sports Tour? Sports tours dot com I believe is the website. Check it out, okay, and you can. You can come in here and rip

Mickey and I get it. Get a ticket and find us, find us and it's worse than one fifteen on Sunday. Face to face. Us usually do it the day before the game. It actually it actually goes from probably twelve thirty or one to about three o'clock because the players come in and and do autographs and they get good players. Yeah. Jalen Smith has been there, the last couple of Layton, Vander esh Tyrone Crawford. Yeah. Wow, man, very good. We go in there and we take all the hard, hard

questions though me and Mickey. Do you interview the players? No, no, no, no, no. We all they gotta do is sign okay, yeah. All they get to do yeah yeah, and then we do it on the road. Also, there's a little meet and greet after Jalen Smith signs. And that website again, I'm guessing it's Star Sports Tours dot Com. There you go, all right, there you go, Bill, good job, wanted to make sure that you got it. We gotta get a full house nowial sponsor of the team. That's right, all right?

How much does this Cowboys team miss Jason Witten this year? Here, I'll answer that question Monday night when there's no Jeff Swain if he's not ready to play. Now. You know, by the way, we finally hear from Jason Garrett for the first time this week right after talking Cowboys. You know, I do think he missed Jason Winton. I do think you missed that, that guy with the ability to work the middle of the field, and I think you miss him in those situations where you're trying to convert for

so many downs you've been bad on third down. Where's the play action game? Yeah, but they've had some they've had some problems too with some of the penalties and setbacks and things like that. They'd probably have hurt them in that regard. But if you could get those manageable down and distant situations, that number eighty two was one of the best, he might not be able. You know, the run after catch might not be what it once was. You get him down the red zone where he could

play within eighteen yards. He does a great job of finding space. Smart guy knew where how to position himself. They haven't had a lot of opportunities down there with that. How much I'm trying to think, how much have they even thrown to a tight end in the middle of the field. A lot of swains has been kind of bailout stuff near the sideline. He's donned the little he made the one handed catch in Houston. Did he make a one handed catch that got a first down? Swam

caught the ball basically off the ground. Yeah, but yeah, it was a great catch. No, No, we just haven't seen We haven't seen him attack the middle of the field with the tight end. A lot of waggles, boots and what was his bread and butter, master of sitting

down in that zone underneath and finding a soft spot. Yeah, but Romo pointed out that they're using Beasley in that in that role now that he's running that Witten route where he can get the release either way, what they've missed is him getting down the hash down the field the middle of the field. Yeah, that's what they miss

the seam route. But if you think about it last year, probably about this time, it's like, Wow, Whitten's not running the way he used to and he's not getting down the field, and his average per catch is going down. And now when he goes away, it's like, oh gosh, how good was he? Same thing with Romo, right, Oh how good was he? And went away? And now it's like, well, can Romo come back and play? Well. I think it's I think it has to do Mickey, and I understand

what you're saying. I think it has to do with just getting six seven yards. You know, when they're not when they haven't been able to run the football, it's finding ways to get over. Yeah, just find it. Give me, give me six seven yards. I don't need your run after catch, I need six or seven yards. Well, how much are they releasing the tight end and not keeping in to help the offensive line. That is a fair point too. It's the run fakes and then throwing to

the tight end where he's wide open. Yeah, that's been missing. I think you really miss him in the red zone myself, Zach. I mean, you're right about the same stuff and his ability to find space down there when when people when other receivers can't find space. Jason Winton, for as slow and lumbersome as he was lumbering, he you know, he had an ability to kind of an not a guy one way, get him off balance and then work to the middle of the field. And he's been always made

secure catches. You miss that, You missed somebody that's making secure catches to get you six seven, eight yards, but also a guy that can play in the red zone to get you a secure catch as well. That being said, Cole is off to a good start here. I mean, if you look at what his numbers are averaging out to be, he's on pace to match his career high from last year seventy five catches. That's where he's on

pace for. He's gonna keep going. So the hope is, you know, Mary's presence can either free him up more or they can just play off of each other, and you gotta pick your poison a little bit there. It's gonna be very interesting to hear Witten's comments though about the Cowboys offense um during the game on Monday night. He felt like that the that the Cowboys won the Marii Cooper trade, he feels like that that's gonna help him.

I've kind of seen some comments that he's been made, he made about it, so you know he's you know, he's gonna he's gonna be I think he's gonna be honest about it, though it'll be it'll be a if he can get a word. Yeah, this is saying LS, you guys talk too much. I don't think that's what he meant. Yeah, but I just feel like though that to me that you know, he'll he'll be honest about

the offense, He'll be honest about the assessment. And I think you're going to get a good broadcast too, because he'll be able to identify what the cows if you like Tony Romo and the way he kind of calls plays and goes along that way and kind of tells you what they're looking at. I think Jason Witten will be really good at this as well, for this game.

I think it's kind of funny. I was reading the Tennessee and this morning and the complaint in Nashville now play that their receiving corps is not very good and why didn't we go and get a wide receiver like the Cowboys did and they were there, their comparison was, you know, okay, they gave up a first round pick, but look what they got. Yeah, the t the Titans didn't do anything. Look what Houston did. They're in the division. Look what they got and the Titans did nothing. There's

a wide receiver out there for him if they want him. Yeah, absolutely. Does he want to play I don't know, that's the question. Or does he want to play for anybody besides this team? Yeah? Right, that's a fair question. I don't know. For a couple million dollars I go play in Alaska, You know it would behoove him, couldn't you. It would didn't intend to get on desk talk here, but it would behoove him.

If he wants to continue his NFL career after this year, it would behoove him to accept whatever offer the next for the next couple of months and swallow his pride and do it. I think Nicky is giving you some great insight, bill Ya. I don't think des Bryant really wants to play, right, I don't think he wants to play for anybody other than the Dallas Cowboys. You know, I think this is this has always been his home.

This is the ownership gave him an opportunity when a lot of people remember his seat or his last year at Oklahoma State didn't even play get yeah, he got drafted off that off three games, like Mickey said, So you know, this ownership has had a lot has covered his back in a lot of different ways off the field on the field. So you know, he has a sense of loyalty. That's the one of the thing about Dez Bryan I think is one of his greatest traits

is his loyalty. He really really does. And I think if you asked him right now, he would say, you know what, I wish I was more loyal to Tony Romo when all that was going on, But you know what, he was an incredible player for this franchise. But you know, he's got other things in life. He's looking at and if the fact that he doesn't want to go play in Cleveland or New Orleans, or Tennessee or in these other places, I don't blame him at all. I don't

blame him. He's you know, hopefully he's doing exactly what he wants to do. All Right, we have a couple of minutes left here on Talking Cowboys. What direction you would you like to go for the final two minutes of this edition of Talking Cowboys? What are we looking for from Jason Garrett in his press conference today? He has not the media has not had an opportunity to ask him about the offensive lying situation his trip to

Dodger Stadium. We're got to hit up that again. You know what I would be I guarantee you he's gonna be asked about it. Yeah, that's a walk off question. To walk off to walk off question, I bet not. I bet I bet something producer, producers to exactly not this one. But okay, I just you know, I think there's there's a lot of ground to cover. I think he's going to do his best to focus in on talking about the Titans and what they need to do second half of the season. You know, hey, I've got

to you know, we've made some changes here. We've got to you know, get guys acclimated. You got to get things going, you know. You know, I think that's what he's really gonna try and focus on. Yeah, but I mean, I'm curious to see if there's more insight about Paul Alexander. He's never done this, he's never made a coach and change in the middle of the season, and and you know, how's it going to change? What's gonna be different? We try to speculate it, see if we can get an

answer out of it. That's gonna be the heart of it. Is gonna be the firing of Paul Alexander. But he's gonna get well, is it? Then the question will be are you Are you saying then the offensive line was the problem? That sure? Yeah, And then he'll say it's a little bit of everything. And I think it's not wrong by saying that, but certainly the line's part of it. Should got him a head coaching job like they got. John Blake's nicky and I spend a day trying to

figure out who the last coach was a gout. Oh yeah, they at the end of the season, John Blake, John Blake, Things turned out well for us. We eventually got Bob Stoops there, and we eventually got Lincoln Riley, and we eventually will be back here on Talking Cowboys tomorrow morning to preview the Titans. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.